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Home , Red Callender, Shifty Henry

CHARLIE PARKER ON DIALE ,

SPOTLITE 102

MARIE PARKER ON DIAL VOl

The personnel for the Dial reissues on the enclosed musicianship most likely to assist the singer, a recently re-discovered acetate dubbing. Russell is record represent a departure from 's relegating himself to the background and constantly fairly sure that 1051-A and 1051-B of THIS IS usual studio organisations. Here we find Parker doing supporting Coleman with cues, leads and paraphrases ALWAYS were never issued and have been lost something he had not attempted since his dates with of the melody. These performances are models of forever. Thus all but the two takes just mentioned are Tiny Grimes and Sarah Vaughan, playing obligatos instrumental accompaniment and rank with the now preserved intact and presented in sequence as for a singer. The vocalist, Earl Coleman, was a Parker records made with various obscure originally recorded at Hollywood, California that day discovery and a Billie Eckstine imitator. Coleman singers in the 1920 s. DARK SHADOWS was in February 1947. After Parker, Coleman and Shifty came to the Dial studios counter to the policies of written by a player named Henry had departed the date concluded with two that company which was exclusively a label. In Shifty Henry for Earl Coleman and, issued on this originals by the Trio, PASTEL and an interview with Bob Reisner (Bird, The Legend of album for the first time is the long missing D master. TRIO which are not included here. Spotlite's Charlie Parker), Dial's chief of A&R, Ross Russell, Part of Parker's solo from the C master was forthcoming release, 103, Volume 3, will present the said that Parker was so insistent on using Coleman transcribed for Woody Herman's reed section in the entire Dial session featuring Charlie Parker which that he could not be dissuaded and that this band's of I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU. took place exactly one week later at the same studios development came at a very bad time, because Parker, It is interesting to note that Coleman subsequently and produced such classics as RELAXIN' AT who was anxious to get back to New York City, had signed on with several other labels, recorded with all CAMARILLO. agreed to make one farewell date in California. sorts of musical backgrounds and produced nothing Russell's solution to the problem was to propose a but flops. He had risen to his finest hour when Bird special recording session on which Coleman would be played 'those beautiful obligatos behind the featured performer. This plan was accepted by him. Parker. Russell then attacked the problem of finding a suitable rhythm section to assist Parker in With Coleman on the sidelines the Erroll Garner Trio, accompanying the singer. Fortunately Erroll Garner augmented by Bird, got on to the instrumentals. was then winding up an engagement at The Haig with Seven tracks were cut in about thirty minutes. a trio composed of George 'Red' Callender, Harold BIRD'S NEST is a Parker construction on the chord 'Doc' West and himself. sequence of 's I GOT RHYTHM PERSONNEL (with an altered middle eight) and was revealed for Garner had been on the fringe of the musical the first time in the studio. All three takes are revolution that swept Fifty-Second Street in the early identical in solo sequence and are taken at the lively CHARLIE PARKER QUARTET and middle 1940's and had often worked such spots "medium bounce" tempo Parker liked so well. Charlie Parker alt; Erroll Garner p; George as the Onyx Club and the Three Deuces with Parker. BIRD S NEST was cut three times in rapid succession 'Red' Callender bs; Harold 'Doc' West d; Earl West had been Jay McShann's drummer during and the final take, Parker's choice, has a slight Coleman yd. (Side One only). Parker's tenure with that band and had made the increase in tempo and seems the most perfectly C.P. MacGregor Studios, Western Avenue near RED CROSS date for Savoy with Bird and Grimes. balanced and fluent. Eighth Street, Hollywood—Wednesday, His style was compounded of and Chick February 19, 1947 Webb, for whom West had once substituted. Red On the twelve bar blues Garner complained that the Callender was the leading jazz bassist on the West tempo of the first two takes was excessively fast. His Coast. Callender and West played what might be best own style with its unorthodox fingering and very full described as a late Swing style and were ideal chords did not tolerate this kind of bravura supporting for Garner's rambling, improvising and he is obviously uncomfortable and behind-the-beat, impressionistic piano work. inaccurate on 1054-A and 1054-B which Dial released SIDE ONE some years later as HOT BLUES and BLOWTOP On paper the personnel for the February 19, 1947 BLUES respectively. The solo sequence on all takes This is always (3:10) D1051-C Dial date was a risky mix, neo-Swing musicians led by was identical except that after the first take Garner's This is always (3:07) D1051-D the idea man and leading player of the solo was reduced from 3 to 2 choruses and as a result Dark shadows (4:02) D1052-A movement in accompaniment to an inexperienced bassist Red Callender took an extra chorus. The third Dark shadows (3:10) D 1052-B singer styled after Billie Eckstine. Yet the session was and fourth takes are right for everyone and, if Dark shadows (3:06) D1052-C Dial's most successful in several respects. Much to the anything, justify Garner's complaints, for these are Dark shadows (2:57) D1052-D management's surprise, and chagrin, Coleman's THIS genuinely successful collaborations. An overall IS ALWAYS proved a hit and outsold every other reduction from 66 (take A) to 40 (take C) bars a release in the Dial catalogue. The two instrumentals minute was made. They are also amongst Bird's SIDE TWO have been prestigious Parker's almost from the date gayest and most uningenuous pieces of music. The of their release and COOL BLUES won the Grand instrumentals were referred to by their creator as Bird's nest (2:48) D1053-A Prix du Disque in France when it appeared in that . The eventual titles were Bird's nest (2:47) D1053-B country. supplied by the issuing label. Bird's nest (2:42) D1053-C The session, Parker's first following his release from In a reply to a recent query by Spotlite as to the Cool blues (1:56) D1054-A Camarillo State Hospital, was supervised by Russell circumstances of this date, Ross Russell, now retired Cool blues (2:20) D1054-B and took place at the C.P. MacGregor Studios, and living in California, states that a total of fifteen Cool blues (3:05) D1054-C Western Avenue near Eighth Street, one of the best in takes were made on this occasion: THIS IS ALWAYS Cool blues (2:47) D1054-D Hollywood and noted for its very high ceiling which 4 times; DARK SHADOWS 4 times; BIRD'S NEST 3 gives these recordings a brilliant room sound. The two and the blues, 4. The final take in each case was the Earl Coleman vocals consumed over three hours and choice or, in the case of the vocals, the best possible. left the singer voiceless and unable to continue, How the D master of DARK SHADOWS became although no completely satisfactory take had been overlooked and never issued remains a mystery. completed. They all display mistakes, breathing Presumably at the time the master became damaged difficulties, anThroughouts in diction. ThrougAnout or mislaid and as a result the C master was used for this part of the session Bird played with the type of 78 release. The version on this record originates from SHUR 101

Printed by Clout & Baker Ltd. Made in England.